Column by Bro. Terry Ivy
“Do not swerve to the right or to the left;” (Proverbs 4:27) We all move in the direction that our eyes are focused upon. On many occasions, the Scriptures remind us to stay committed and focused upon our goal. The Apostle Paul tells us to “press toward the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) When we study through all the passages dealing with this subject, we learn the importance of maintaining a biblical focus.
On the other hand, the world offers us a continual cesspool of options. From the idolatry of sports to the happy-go-lucky barroom life, millions of Americans slither down a slow-moving path of destruction, too ignorant to realize their decisions and too foolish to care. Of course, when death comes knocking at their door, the regrets will creep in like a fog on a lake during the Fall season.
Satan is a master at dangling a carrot before our nose in order to keep us moving in unison with him. Children grow up honing their skill of singing in church. Then they turn to barrooms and beer joints when they become young adults, abandoning a walk with Christ to entertain the world. Dads place hunting and fishing before faithful attendance with other believers, then the ‘little outdoorsmen’ grow up and neglect to lead their own children. Instead of becoming godly examples of worship on Sundays, their time is spent in tree stands and fishing boats. Satan wins. This destructive path may take years to reveal itself, but by then, the damage will be done.
I watched an example of this recently. Last week, my oldest son, Joshua, sent a video of my grandson Jagger playing T-Ball. Jagger’s coach placed the ball on the stand and told Jagger to hit it hard. About this time, a flock of geese can be seen and heard flying over the field. As they formed the famous v-shaped aerial pattern, the loud honks of these large birds could be heard.
At five years of age, the sound of these geese caught Jagger’s attention. You can see his little head look up to the sky and watch them fly over. It was like baseball had disappeared, and he was on a bird-watching safari tour. Everything faded away from the ball and upon the movement in the sky above him. His little head kept following the flight of the geese until his coach regained his attention.
Like Jagger, we can find ourselves drawn away from things that are important and consumed with things that aren’t. Our minds and hearts chase idols faster than a cougar goes after prey. Self-discipline through the Holy Spirit and accountability through a local church are safeguards against the distractions that threaten the welfare of our soul.
Old-timers used to say, “All that glitters is not gold.” And yet, the enemy of man’s soul sure can make foolish things look like opportunities. When the geese of hell are flying over our heads, making all the noise they can muster to trap our focus and change God’s purpose for our life, we need to remember the words of Jagger’s coach… Keep Your Eyes on the Ball!
